Despite criticism over its shrinking free plan and early-2025 price hikes, Mailchimp remains a solid choice for many businesses – but the email marketing landscape has shifted dramatically. Here's what small business owners should know about Mailchimp's position in 2025.
The Changes Fueling Debate
Mailchimp surprised users by slashing its free plan to just 500 contacts (previously 2,000) and 1,000 monthly email sends[1]. At the same time, it removed the ability for free users to schedule emails or use multi-step automations[2][1]. The Standard paid plan now starts at $20 per month for 500 contacts[3] – a substantial jump (on the order of 10–20%) from prior pricing levels[4].
These changes have not gone unnoticed. Small business owners took to forums and social media to voice frustration, with many exploring alternative email platforms. An 11% average price increase was reported across plans[4], and the free tier cuts mean businesses that previously got by on Mailchimp’s free offering are now forced to either upgrade or trim their lists[5].
The AI Arms Race: Mailchimp’s Counter-Move
In response to rising competition, Mailchimp has rolled out a suite of AI-powered features aimed at content creation and optimization. The platform now includes AI assistants for writing email copy and subject lines, designing on-brand email templates, product recommendations, and send-time optimization[6]. These tools generate suggestions for content and help users refine campaigns, signaling Mailchimp’s strategy to leverage Intuit’s resources and keep up in the AI arms race of marketing software. Early users report the AI features can save time on drafting newsletters and improving engagement, though competitors are launching similar tools as well.
How Competitors Are Capitalizing
While Mailchimp tightens its free offerings and raises prices, competitors have been quick to seize the opportunity. Many alternative email marketing services now highlight more generous free plans or niche advantages:
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)
- Free tier: 300 emails per day (no overall contact limit)[7]
- Key advantage: Unlimited contacts on the free plan (contacts aren’t capped, only daily sending)
- Best for: Small businesses with large or inactive lists that email infrequently
ConvertKit (now rebranded as “Kit”)
- Free tier: Up to 10,000 subscribers (includes 1 basic automation sequence)[8]
- Key advantage: Built specifically for creators (bloggers, course sellers, etc.), with features like paid newsletter subscriptions
- Best for: Content creators – e.g. bloggers, YouTubers, online course creators – looking to grow an audience
- Free tier: 250 contacts and 500 total monthly email sends[9] (plus 150 SMS credits)
- Key advantage: Robust e-commerce integration and automation tailored for online stores
- Best for: Shopify merchants and e-commerce businesses that need advanced segmentation and automation tied to sales data
- Free tier: 1,000 subscribers and 12,000 monthly emails[10]
- Key advantage: Modern, easy-to-use interface and a very generous free plan (automation and landing pages are included)
- Best for: Startups and small businesses looking for full-featured email marketing on a budget
Each of these competitors markets themselves by addressing pain points that have surfaced for Mailchimp users in 2025. For instance, Brevo’s unlimited contacts model appeals to those upset by Mailchimp’s contact counting, and MailerLite’s low entry price undercuts Mailchimp on value[11]. As a result, the once “default” choice of Mailchimp now faces a crowded field of viable alternatives.
Where Mailchimp Still Wins in 2025
Despite the backlash to recent changes, Mailchimp retains several key advantages that keep it in the running:
1. Integration Ecosystem: Mailchimp offers over 300 native integrations with other tools[12] – from e-commerce platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce to CRMs and accounting software. This vast ecosystem means Mailchimp can plug into almost any existing business stack seamlessly. If your marketing relies on connecting multiple apps (website forms, customer data, online storefronts, etc.), Mailchimp likely has a direct integration ready to go.
2. Brand Recognition and Trust: Thanks to its long history, Mailchimp enjoys a level of brand familiarity few competitors can match. Many clients and consumers recognize the Mailchimp name and logo (the famous Freddie the chimp), which can implicitly build trust. The platform reportedly serves over 13 million users worldwide[13], and for many small business owners “Mailchimp” is virtually synonymous with email newsletters. This reputation can help when convincing stakeholders or subscribers that your email operations are in reputable hands.
3. All-in-One Marketing Platform: Unlike providers that focus solely on email, Mailchimp has evolved into a broader marketing platform. Users can not only send emails but also create landing pages, design digital ads for Facebook/Instagram, send postcards, and even run SMS campaigns – all from within Mailchimp[14][15]. (One notable exception: Mailchimp experimented with an appointment scheduling feature, but discontinued it in 2024 due to low usage[16].) For a small business that wants to manage several channels in one place, Mailchimp’s breadth of features adds convenience. You can build a simple website or landing page, capture sign-ups, and nurture those leads via email and social re-targeting without hopping between different services.
4. Established Deliverability: Mailchimp’s long tenure in the industry means it has well-established sending infrastructure and strict compliance protocols to maintain good deliverability. In plain terms, if you follow best practices, Mailchimp can reliably get your emails into inboxes. Its scale also gives it access to tools like Timewarp (sending according to each recipient’s time zone) and predictive segmentation to keep deliverability strong. While independent tests show mixed rankings for Mailchimp’s deliverability vs. peers[17], the company’s track record and ongoing monitoring of senders provide a level of confidence that newer or smaller providers may not yet offer.
Where Mailchimp Falls Short in 2025
Mailchimp isn’t without its weaknesses. Some of the drawbacks that have become more pronounced in 2025 include:
1. Value for Money: Cost is the biggest sticking point. At $20/month for just 500 contacts on the Standard plan[3], Mailchimp is now among the pricier email tools. Many competitors deliver similar or greater functionality for less. For example, MailerLite’s paid plan for 500 subscribers starts around $10/month (with unlimited emails)[11], and other rivals like Moosend or Sendinblue (Brevo) offer plans that scale by email volume rather than contact count, which can be more economical for certain use cases. Mailchimp’s pricing can quickly climb into the hundreds of dollars per month as your list grows, so budget-conscious businesses may get better ROI elsewhere.
2. Affiliate Marketing Restrictions: Mailchimp’s Terms of Use impose strict rules against affiliate marketing content[18]. In practice, accounts that primarily send affiliate promotions or link to known affiliate networks often face suspension or cancellation. Mailchimp explicitly prohibits many affiliate-related campaigns as part of its compliance policies[18]. This immediately disqualifies Mailchimp for businesses whose model relies heavily on affiliate sales. By contrast, some competing platforms (e.g. GetResponse, AWeber, or ActiveCampaign) are more tolerant of affiliate marketers and allow affiliate links as long as spam/complaint rates remain low. If your email strategy involves promoting third-party offers for commission, Mailchimp can be a non-starter.
3. Contact Counting and Billing Practices: Mailchimp’s pricing model counts all contacts in your account toward your bill – including those who unsubscribed or never confirmed opt-in[19]. It also counts a single person multiple times if they appear on different audience lists. This can inflate costs unless you constantly scrub your lists. “Cheeky move from the chimps,” one reviewer noted about having to pay for contacts you’re not actually emailing[20]. Most other email services only charge for active subscribers (and don’t charge for the same email address twice), making Mailchimp relatively less forgiving for list management. For a small business, this means extra diligence in archiving or deleting unsubscribed contacts to avoid paying for ghost subscribers.
4. Limited Automation on Lower Tiers: Mailchimp’s powerful marketing automation is locked behind its higher-tier plans. The Free plan allows only very basic single-step autoresponders (like a one-time welcome email)[21], and even the Essentials plan (starts $13/mo) caps automations to 4 steps[22]. To build multi-step customer journeys with branching logic, you must upgrade to Standard or higher[23][24]. This is a stark contrast to some competitors: for instance, MailerLite’s free plan includes a limited automation builder for single-trigger workflows[25], and ConvertKit’s free tier now even allows one email sequence. In 2025, small businesses expect robust automation without a hefty price tag – an area where Mailchimp’s paywall on automation features makes entry-level use cases less attractive compared to more automation-friendly alternatives.
The 2025 Verdict: Who Should Stay vs. Who Should Switch
Mailchimp’s recent moves position it more as a premium, all-in-one marketing solution under parent company Intuit. That strategy makes it a great fit for some users and a poor fit for others. Here’s a quick guide:
Stay with Mailchimp if you
- Already have complex integrations set up. If Mailchimp is woven into your website, CRM, e-commerce, and other systems, the cost and hassle of switching may outweigh potential savings. Its 300+ integrations ensure everything works together[12], which can be hard to replicate elsewhere.
- Value having multiple marketing channels in one platform. Mailchimp’s all-in-one capabilities (email, ads, website builder, etc.) are convenient if you prefer a single hub for marketing. Businesses that use its non-email features (social posts, postcards, surveys, etc.) may stick around for that one-stop-shop benefit.
- Rely on Mailchimp’s brand with your clients or subscribers. Some audiences simply trust emails that are known to be “powered by Mailchimp.” If you’ve built credibility partly by using a well-known platform, sticking with it could avoid any perception issues.
- Have relatively small needs that still fit in the free tier. Despite the downsizing, Mailchimp’s free plan (500 contacts) can work for a local business or side project with a few hundred subscribers. If you send infrequent newsletters to a small list, you might not feel the pinch of limitations and can enjoy Mailchimp’s quality at no cost.
- Run a local or brick-and-mortar business. Mailchimp’s strengths in straightforward email campaigns and its additional channels like postcards might serve a local business well. If advanced digital automation isn’t a priority, Mailchimp’s reliability and support for offline touches (postcards) can be an asset.
Consider switching
- Have a contact list in the 500–5,000 range and growing. This is the “squeezed middle” where Mailchimp’s value proposition weakens. Alternatives like Brevo, Moosend, or MailerLite can often handle a few thousand contacts for a fraction of Mailchimp’s price[26][11]. If budget is a concern and your list is in this range, you can likely save significantly by moving.
- Do affiliate marketing or regularly promote third-party offers. Mailchimp’s policies are not friendly to this (accounts can be shut down without warning for violations). Platforms such as GetResponse or ActiveCampaign explicitly allow affiliate links and are built to accommodate that style of marketing.
- Need advanced automation on a tight budget. If you want to set up complex drip sequences, behavior-triggered flows, or funnels without paying $20+ per month, look at providers like MailerLite, Brevo, or Benchmark. Many offer robust automation in their free or low-cost plans.
- Send emails only sporadically. If your business sends newsletters seasonally or infrequently, Mailchimp’s monthly pricing might not be ideal. A pay-as-you-go email service or one with lower fixed fees (like Moosend’s credits system or Brevo’s volume-based plans) could be more economical.
- Primarily sell digital products or courses. Creator-focused tools like ConvertKit (Kit) are often a better match for this audience. They offer features like paid newsletters, simple sales pages, and community support for creators. Mailchimp can certainly handle course creator emails, but you might find more tailored tools that understand your niche’s needs (and possibly offer better rates or free subscriber allowances for creators).
What’s Next for Mailchimp?
With Intuit’s $12 billion acquisition of Mailchimp in 2021[27], the platform’s trajectory has shifted toward a more premium, integrated service. We’ve seen Mailchimp double-down on attracting larger small businesses and enterprises that will pay for convenience. The focus appears less on hobbyists or very small outfits and more on being an end-to-end marketing solution for serious businesses. Intuit has already begun integrating Mailchimp with its other products (for example, QuickBooks accounting software) to create a seamless flow from marketing to finances[28].
On the feature front, Mailchimp in 2025 continues to expand beyond email: adding or enhancing channels like SMS marketing, social media retargeting ads, and e-commerce tools[15]. The recent introduction of AI-driven content tools is likely just the start – expect further AI features (perhaps predictive analytics or automated campaign suggestions) to roll out as the platform leverages machine learning across its huge user base.
However, there are also questions about how Mailchimp will balance its identity. Will it maintain the approachability that made it popular with small businesses, or will it continue on the path of “professionalization” even at the cost of simplicity and affordability? The removal of underused features (like appointment scheduling) shows Mailchimp is willing to trim offerings that don’t drive growth[16]. Users can probably count on Mailchimp to keep refining its core products (email, CRM, e-commerce integrations) and perhaps see tighter integration with other Intuit services.
The Bottom Line
Mailchimp in 2025 can be likened to the iPhone of email marketing – a premium, somewhat restrictive ecosystem, but one that is polished and reliable. It’s no longer the automatic, default choice for every small business; there are now plenty of strong competitors offering better deals or specialized features. But Mailchimp’s longevity and continued evolution mean it’s still a contender for the best email marketing platform, especially if you value its integration breadth and all-in-one capabilities.
For businesses already deeply invested in Mailchimp’s platform, sticking with it can make sense – the devil you know, backed by solid deliverability and feature updates, might be better than the costs of migration. Newcomers, on the other hand, have a golden opportunity (and responsibility) to shop around. The email marketing field in 2025 is rich with options, each with different strengths.
In the end, whether Mailchimp is “worth it” comes down to your specific needs and priorities. Mailchimp is still a good platform – just no longer the obvious winner for every scenario. It now sits as one choice among many. The savvy small business owner should weigh Mailchimp’s trusted reputation and robust features against the nimbleness or cost-savings offered by its rivals, and decide which aligns best with their marketing strategy.